>> this is "bbc world news america." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce.

we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news america." >> this is "bbc world news america." sandy has gone. new york tries to get back to life. >> this is crazy. it has taken me 45 minutes just to get right there from third street. i have never seen traffic like this in my life. >> on the campaign trail, though, it is full speed ahead. with five days ago, the campaign -- the campaigners are covering the country in search of every vote.

and new wealth is opening a great divide for the next generation of leaders. welcome to our viewers on public television in america and also around the globe. three days after super storm sandy hit the eastern united states, the death toll has climbed to more than 80. 4 million homes and businesses are still without power. slowly, though, new york is trying to come back to life. some subways are rolling again, but getting around by car takes forever. the bbc took to the streets. >> taxi delays greeted commuters this morning at the river crossings. it was the journey from hell. this was the bus queue in brookline -- in brooklyn.

spare a thought for those who took a car. a painful crawl that tested the patience of even the most hardened new yorkers. >> i have just come from doing it 12-hour shift. this is crazy. it has taken me 45 minutes just to get from right there on third street. i have never seen traffic like this in my life. >> for those running out of fuel, even longer queues for the dwindling number of petrol stations that have yet to run dry. we are finally crossing the bridge into manhattan now, and one of the things the mayor's office has done in theory to make the flow of traffic smoother is to say that every car has to have at least three people in it, but it has still been a torturous journey. at checkpoints, police were counting heads to enforce that new rule. while in neighboring new jersey, the national guard has taken the lead, moving residents out of water log homes. among them, those who will speak

stories of their escapes in years to come. >> i was like, "excuse me, i need help. i need to go to the hospital." they just scoop me up. they took me and were like, "let's go." >> the president is back on the campaign trail after touring the damage yesterday. his opponent mitt romney is in virginia. with the election just five days away, cautiously, politicians are moving on. >> he used to make the space where he would scrunch up his face -- >> but others never will. she lost her son to the storm. jacob was 23. he and a friend were crushed by falling tree. >> he kept calling me every 20 minutes, and finally, -- i kept calling him every 20 minutes, and finally, a man answered his phone, and i asked who he was. he said he was detective simon, and i asked where my son was,

and he asked my address, said he wanted to come to my apartment. >> the lights are out. the power gone. in manhattan alone, 750,000 people are without electricity. every day that passes, businesses are losing money. >> i have never seen anything like it. look at this. what a mess. >> do you have power? >> do i have power? no, i am in the dark. >> there is one ray of light, and it is underground. the new york subway began offering restricted service this morning, allowing some commuters to take their usual journey, but it will be many months before the familiar everyday parts of the city returned. >> for more on the situation people are dealing with, i'm joined in new jersey by the bbc's jane hill. we spoke to yesterday in new york. what is the biggest difference

in terms of today's recovery effort? >> when you go through the streets here, i think you just get the sense of how physically devastating -- how physically devastated this place is. it felt much more so than manhattan, i think, just walking through the main town. so much more -- hardware ripped apart, fences down, street posts down, electricity down. so many visitors shocked, and people working very hard. a lot of people in the business is dragging out bags and bags and bags of rubbish, trying to get their business is back up and running. on top of that, we've got the big humanitarian situation, which really will take some time to resolve. this is a town of 50,000 people. you might know that yesterday, the mayor of this town was estimating that anything up to 20,000 may still need rescuing. it is a quite staggering proportions of the community

here. the national guard are out. they are out really the west of the town, that was particularly badly hit, trying to get people out. middle schools, places like this, turned into shelters because those places -- as people need someplace to stay. >> what does that mean that they need rescuing? they are still trapped in apartments? they have water around them? where are they? >> yes, that is what the mayor was saying. basements, first floor is, second floor is might be flooded. there are people higher up. that is what he was speculating. when you put that figure of 20,000 to, for example, some of the red cross workers i spoke to today -- i ask how accurate that assessment was, and said it was very hard to tell. they said they were providing relief efforts, but the national guard was doing the rescuing. they are going through the town wanting to find people in that

position, so that work continues. the death toll is rising, for example, with bodies found for example in staten island, and i wonder weather we will be talking about that in days or weeks to come -- i wonder whether we will be talking about that in days or weeks to come. >> scientists are talking about the lessons we need to learn from this storm. that is the focus of the "time" magazine article that came up today. we have looked at the response to hurricane sandy, and one of the things that struck me is how little discussion there has been of the role of climate change in causing these super storms. >> that is true. there really has not been enough talk about that, and i think, hopefully, the hurricane will really draw attention to that fact. while it is difficult to say

exactly how much climate change had to do with what sandy became, we know this will happen more frequently and more severely in the future if we do not do anything about climate change. >> it is not just out on the campaign trail during the course of this political season. if you look at what happened in government, there has not been much talk of climate change, either, by this administration. >> that is true. certainly the obama administration has put forward a carbon tax plan early in the administration, but that ended up floundering in congress -- put forward a carbon cap plan. he has done other things in terms of increasing auto fuel efficiency, things in terms of back door, policies, but he clearly has not taken on this problem the way he had promised to back in 2008. >> you have written about the need for more research into climate change so that we can understand where these storms come from, but also more comprehensive response from america in terms of dealing with its infrastructure.

we have seen the infrastructure problems caused by hurricane sandy. >> that is clearly true. you have 3.7 million americans who live within just a few feet of high tide. those are the people who are always vulnerable when you have a big storm like this one. you have new york city youth -- losing huge parts of its infrastructure, losing electrical service, losing subways because they were flooded. it is not just a matter of trying to prepare in the sense of being able to respond to the storm, but thinking about how we build cities and electrical grids that are more resilient in extreme weather events like sandy. >> is there a chance that an event like this or the prospect of multiple events like this, because as we have heard from the governor of new york, these things are writing more and more frequently, will actually be the catalyst that forces the country and politicians to take leadership and do what is needed on critical issues like infrastructure, like climate change?

>> if anything is going to do it, i think it will be programs like this one. the united states, like a lot of countries, can be very short term in its leadership and thinking. we tend to be disaster driven and follow what ever happened last. this should give us an image is to deal with this problem, but at the same time, we had hurricane katrina seven years ago. we had the oil spill a few years ago. these are events we thought would really drive the conversation. in the end, they did not. may be sandy will be different. certainly, the sheer number of people affected will make a big difference. when you are talking about 1/3 of the country, but if it is not sandy, we will experience another one that will do the trick. >> thank you very much. that is an alarming prospect. as we reported, hurricane sandy has put the u.s. presidential campaign on pause, but today, it was back to business on the trail. republican mitt romney argued that he would do a better job leading the country's economy.

at his first step in wisconsin, president obama appealed for another term in office to finish the job he started. a short time ago, he was given the backing of new york's mayor michael bloomberg, who endorsed the president's citing specifically the issue of climate change. i ask the political reporter for the "washington post" what he would be watching out for. we're entering the portion of the campaign where i start to the people who run for president just have a different team than the rest of us -- different gene than the rest of us. >> there is no doubt about that, but this is an incredibly close election at this point. a lot of people predicted this a year ago, that it would be close, and they've got the election they anticipated. a handful of states will decide if the candid -- will decide it.

candidates will be in and out of the state's multiple times. >> what can they actually do at this stage? barack obama, mitt romney, to try to persuade people after two years of campaigning and, whenever it is, a couple of billion dollars in advertising have not made their minds of yet. >> as you say, there are very few persuade of all voters, but there may be some who will listen to a final argument -- there are very few persuadable voters. the second thing is they each need to have the most energized base possible, and so many of these rallies will be in strong republican or strong democratic areas with the intention of doing everything they can to get everybody out to vote on tuesday. >> before the hurricane hit, we were seeing momentum towards mitt romney. are you seeing anything in polls from talking to these people that suggests that might have changed? >> i do not think it has changed

dramatically. there was some sense that what momentum he had was beginning to slow a little bit, but i have to say in talking to people the last few days on both sides in different states, both sides feel some sense of confidence. the obama team, as we know, has been insistent that they will win this election, and they have said this repeatedly for the last week, and i think that they believe they have a ground operation in place to get the voters out that they need, but in talking to republicans, what i have heard over the last two days is in republican areas, there is great enthusiasm for governor romney at this point. up until a few weeks ago or a month ago, the enthusiasm on the republican side was mostly aimed at defeating the president, and now, what has clicked in is some enthusiasm to actually elect mitt romney. they are counting on a big surge and they will need a big surge in those red republican areas for him to win. >> you travel around the country an awful lot. when we wake up on november 7,

assuming we have a clear winner, is it your understanding that the losing side will accept the result and live with it? >> certainly, the losing candidate will say that and try to convince people -- >> but the democrats and republicans and people out in the country. >> at that point, that is not clear -- at this point, that is not clear. the two sides are so polarized, and the feelings are so intense, the passions are so strong that whoever loses will be deeply disappointed come november 7 and beyond, and a think it will take a great deal of effort on the part of whoever wins this campaign to try to patch up this country. >> perhaps on the part of whoever loses as well. thanks very much. after more than a year of constant campaigning, let's be quite honest, a lot of us are probably ready for this election to be over, and that may be the reason this next video has become an internet sensation. here's the response of one four-

year old when she was asked. >> i'm tired of barack obama and mitt romney. >> that's why you are crying? oh, it will be over soon, abby. ok? the election will be over soon, ok? >> the little girl of doing exactly what we all feel. that has gone viral. the internet has done absolutely crazy. one thing that can help us get through this election is the bbc's website, where you can find a special page with interactive guides and videos, including a chance for you to say who you think would fare best. you are watching "bbc world news america." still to come on tonight's program -- flush with cash, china is growing in rushing to spend, but not everyone is enjoying the windfall.

beyond the impact of hurricane sandy in the u.s., extreme weather has also affected india. seven people were killed when a cyclone struck the southeast coast. the rescue operation is under way for six sailors still missing after an oil tanker ran aground. from there, we've received this report. >> the feeling of the storm lashing india's east coast. out at sea, an oil tanker that ran aground when the cyclone struck. most of its 37 crew members have been rescued, but some are still missing. throughout the day, coast guard rescue teams have been in action, trying to find the remaining sailors. now they are preparing to tow the ship back to sea before it drifts further, creating an oil slick. the cyclone made landfall on wednesday, lashing the coast

with rain and high winds with speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour. power lines were brought down, and roads have been damaged, but the loss of life has been kept to a minimum. along the coast in its many fishing villages, some signs of the storms are gone -- fishermen and their families have gone to higher ground. now they are waiting. >> the worst of the storm is now behind us. for many of these people, the cyclone was a threat that never quite materialized. for many people here, it is the quick response of the authorities that managed to minimize the damage, but all along this coast, there are many people -- fishermen, villagers -- who have been evacuated, and it will be a while before they can get back to their homes or venture out into the sea.

>> a great magazine editor accused of breach of privacy after he published a list of suspected tax evaders has been acquitted -- a greek magazine editor. the list was originally passed to the greek government in 2010 but not investigated. he told the bbc that the ones who should be in court are the politicians who fail to take action. now to our series on the leadership challenge taking place in china. the communist party's national congress is set to meet next week, and amongst the many things the new generation of leaders will have to address is the growth gap between rich and poor. we have a report now from one of china's most impoverished areas. ,> in china's poorest province deep in its role heart, -- rural

heart. the economic boom in the cities is happening far from here. nevertheless, today, they are celebrating this couple's first child. there is a banquet and gifts. a refrigerator, a new bed. he could never afford these himself. the farmer and labor has find nothing this year -- the farmer and laborer has earned nothing this year. >> it is not fair. i have been to the city. they are rich, eat in fancy restaurants every day. my life does not compare. >> it is a problem china's next leaders know they must tackle. china's economic growth has been deeply unfair. some have not benefited much, and the gap between the rich and the rest is yawning ever wider. it may not be sustainable.

a three-hour flight away in beijing, people enjoy comfort comparable to parts of europe. the communist party's rule here rests on the assumption it is making everyone better off, but china is now among the most unequal societies in the world. the inequalities are glaring and growing. 1 million chinese are now millionaires. they dressed in designer outfits, which cost more money than most in this village will have in a lifetime. >> in china, we are rich now, so we want what is fashionable. it is natural. >> this vacation means a french chateau. it was created near beijing. those with money come here to sample western lifestyles and get a taste for leisure and luxury. this pricy wine grown at the chateau costs 1,000 pounds a

bottle. there are also spending 1,000 pounds on their castle-themed wedding service. they want to impress their relatives who have never left china. they are part of the rising middle class. china's in equality means they soon do not feel particularly well-off, not when they see how well the some have become -- china's inequality. >> we are largely better than the poorest but worse than the rich. it is not great. we're stuck in the middle. >> the poorest feel stuck as well in the countryside, and it is why china's communist rulers feel tackling inequality is one of their most urgent problems. if they fail, it could undermine the legitimacy -- their legitimacy. >> one country but two very different worlds facing the

leadership in china. returning now to our top story, the aftermath of super storm sandy. communities along the coast bore the brunt of the damage. in long island, new york, we went with some residents who returned to their homes for the first times. this is what we found. >> i grew up on the water. this was our home. come on in and let's see what happens. those are all of my neighbors doors -- neighbors' doors. i cannot even imagine the force of that water. it is insane. i am grateful that i have the walls. here is the piano. pretty concerned about it, but it still plays. i knew that one day, this would be a hurricane. you cannot move here and think that it would not happen. i am is so close to the water with the water in the front and

the canal in the back. i will come with the plywood and rebuild. >> we stayed for the storm. we should have never done that. with the water just rose so rapidly -- the water just rose so rapidly that there was no escaping. we had to evacuate some of our neighbors over to our house. the water was so high that we were carrying our kids on our backs. during the storm, and house was on fire down the block. all the embers from the house were being blown directly to our houses, so we were all in the line of fire. we stayed. we could not leave at that point. we stayed on upper floors of the house. the lower floors got flooded. you cannot even imagine the fear, the wind. it is just the worst thing in the world. >> some of my neighbors that

were here for a little while were sending us pictures. we used to have a little building right here, a bathroom, and we had a picture where it just fell over in the road, and i knew that was it. >> 5, 6, 7-foot waves hitting my house and took up the whole front of my house. it is all pretty much destroyed. very disheartening. this part of the house upsets me the most right now. i took a lot of work and time and money and effort -- it took a lot of work and time and money and effort, and it is just destroyed. >> i was scared, too. i lost a lot of my stuff. >> i have my pets, my kids. i have to find a house. this is going to take a year to rebuild. >> living through the storm and

then the sadness of what they find afterwards. that brings the program to a close. remember, though, that you can get updates on sandy on our website any time. from all of us, thanks so much for watching. see you back here tomorrow. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding for this presentation was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of

international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news america" was prese